AARP protects its message at the expense of the country
January 18, 2013 at 4:53 pm in News by Dustin Siggins 18 Comments
According to Roll Call, the influential lobbying group AARP is coming out as strongly as ever against reforms to Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid as part of any upcoming budget deals.
Ironically, AARP is doing this at both their member’s expense and the expense of the nation as a whole. Consider what AARP CEO Barry Rand said:
“In Washington, their budget debate has been focused on big numbers, but it’s really about people and their futures,” Rand said. “We cannot make budget choices without considering the consequences of those choices on people. Solving the budget deficit by cutting Social Security and Medicare benefits will leave too many people with nothing left at the end of the month.”
Rand acknowledged that AARP and its approximately 38 million members, who are older than 50, agree the entitlement programs require some modifications. But he called proposals to raise the eligibility age for Medicare, the federal health insurance program for the elderly and disabled, an example of “cost shifting” that amounts to “pure folly and [is] very dangerous.” He and other AARP officials said the Democratic-backed Affordable Care Act went in the right direction.
These two paragraphs hold enough material for an entire essay of critiques, but consider the following:
First, without changing the trajectory of the big numbers Rand references, the future of many people in America will consist of no retirement and higher taxes. Having “nothing left at the end of the month” will be the least of their problems.
Second, few proposals are focusing on current retirees. While this is mathematical reality, political reality is such that few Members of Congress have been willing to support aggressive reforms. Thus, Rand’s proclamations about leaving “too many people with nothing” is borderline inaccurate, since he implies this will greatly impact current retirees.
Third, the Affordable Care Act went in the wrong direction for seniors and every other demographic. More taxes, worse care, and more federal control of the lives of Americans is not “the right direction” for anyone.
The entire article is full of tripe worth debunking, but let’s close with one last point: Rand talks about reducing the deficit without “putting the health and financial security of future and current generations at risk.” Consider the harm being caused by the debt on economic growth, and how tax increases and/or major cuts to Medicare and Social Security are the future of all Americans the longer reforms to both programs are delayed.
In short, the three programs Rand is defending – plus interest payments – total over half of the federal budget. They are also, along with interest, the fastest-growing parts of the budget. The fiscal reality is that while Rand’s statements are good for publication, they are bad for all Americans, including his members. He should be fired for publicly supporting policy proposals that actually harm those he allegedly represents.
AARP continues to be far left of center politically and selfish when it comes to their own pocketbook. This is why I refuse to join their organization.
I will not be renewing my membership of 18 years. They had betrayed all seniors, and ultimately all Americans.
After many years of membership, we dropped our membership in AARP. There are a number of alternative groups for seniors that actually are concerned about seniors and not about the profitability of their insurance programs.
Good to see! Some people on this website don’t want to see any cuts to Social Security or Medicare. I wonder why they are even Republican?
AARP’s annual increases are never ending, their new 4 tier drug coverage another increase. I have plan F with a different insurance company – it’s the same plan F – but cheaper. I dropped their Part D and now have a 3 tier policy but no co-pay for my prescriptions. I save around $55.00 per month. With a COLA of 1.7% (2013) $55.00 is a big chunk of change, about $660.00 a year and that pays my annual auto insurance premium. My advise to seniors: do your homework, shop around, and don’t drink the cool-aid. What else are you doing anyway? If you can’t use an extra $600.00 send it to your grand-children or wounded warriors they can use the donation to do more good than AARP.
If the Americans for Tax Reform and the NRA won’t back down, why should AARP?
I dropped my membership to AARP because of two reason:
1. AARP was a big backer of Obamacare and that is not what I wanted.
2. I found out that I could get the same senior rates without being a member of AARP therefore there was not any need for me to be a member.
I so nor understand why AARP was in favor of Obamacare. Now since it has passed AARP wants to pull out of Obamacare.
I have worked and paid my taxes in to ssi now that i’m disable the goverment like they want me to crawl off somewheres and die. Medicare was and is still being paid for out of payroll taes if the Government would pay back all the aou that they owe each Medicare member then we would have plenty of money in Medicare. We didn’t tell them to raid our Medicare funds for every little stupid project that they wated to fund thur the back door. I think its time that they pay up those IOU that was so easy for them to write all those years ago.It makes me sick to hear them talking like we are a bunch of free loaders (Medicare is the only program that the enrolled people have had to pay for. The government lies and acts like its a freebie from the government i wish they would tell the truth they raided and took money from Medicare and thats the real reason that its in such a mess now. The owe Money back to Medicare why shouldn’t they have to pay back all those IOU (loans) they have to pay back the banks.
That’s the problem with America. Everyone only wants to take more and more! Some of you are just as bad as the 47% Mitt complained about.
The gov’t is having to offset the cost of Medicare and SS because most people get more from the system than they put in. People are living longer and healthcare cost are going up exponentially.
So we should cut everything except your Social Security and Medicare???
Not right to badmouth those who have rightfully paid into social security and when it is time to pay them what they were promised. A bigger problem and one that is still growing is our government distributing ssi, social security benefits to people who ARE not legally allowed to obtain these benefits. More food for thought, incarcerated people should not be receiving ssi, social security benefits, more than I care to see that are serving life sentences or on death row. Why it is called a “CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM”, victims do not matter, only more money going to worthless attorneys.
TrueAmerican – the Republicans just cut everyone’s Social Security by using the CPI (Consumer Price Index) to calculate future inflation adjustments. Initially, the Democrats were against it but caved in to the Republicans. I really wonder if current Conservative Social Security recipients are aware of this?
Hellfire / The fact remains that neither the republicans or democrats at this point in our history could care less about “we the people”.
AARP you sold us out with your endorsement of Obamma care.. Don.t worry we have not forgotten, have you? Folks don’t for a minute even think they give a rats A$$ about you. The AARP FULLY UNDERSTOOD all of the ramifications of OBAMMA Care INCLUDING MEDICADE AND MEDICARE CUTS and AARP sold us out for some short term insurance scheme. DO NOT SEND THEM ANY MONEY , additionally any of their products or services, including the magazine Cancel them and do not renew your membership dues immediately. Tell all of the advertisers in their program you refuse to spend a dime with them as long as they advertise in AARP publications.
These folks at the AARP are snakes who play both sides of the fence…all in the name of the AARP to obtain political favors of the Obamma administration. They sold all of us out.
AMAC is the conservative alternative to AARP. http://www.amac.us
Social security was set up as a dedicated account for a dedicated purpose the legal manipulations that made it essentially part of the general fund are corruption at legendary levels.
Infrastructure was to be funded by excise taxes, then road use taxes, likewise, corruption, and the “investing in the future”.
If the politicians had to live by the same rules as any small businessman, they’d all be in jail.
AARP is absolutely correct. I admire their courage to stand up against the raging right. I’m renewing my membership today. AND I have yet to hear one single LEGITIMATE attack on the Affordable Health Care Act. The complaints are same ole old worn out raging right slogans like” govt take over” – wrong….”death panels” – wrong (unless you count the current health insurance companies death panels)…..on and on. Seniors NEED social security and medicare. Why not remove the cap on who pays social security taxes??? Thats a tax perk for the wealthiest Americans.
trueamerican – I totally agree with you that no one in Congress is working for “we the people”.
See the Association of Mature American Citizens, or AMAC’s ideas to secure the solvency of Social Security, http://www.amac.us, and click on “Saving Social Security”. AMAC is the leading alternative to the AARP!